Improvement in automatic shade-rollers



2 Sheets--Sheet1. F. C. D. McKAY.

Automatic Shade-Rollers.

Patented May 12, 1874.

1/ 6' 1 07. immma wfiuiyw 2Sheets--Sheet2. F. C. D. McKAY.

v Automatic Shade-Bol'lersQ No.15-0,877 Patented May12 ,1874.

miiwsses: Ewe/11bit Mm M UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICFE.

FERDINAND o. D. MOKAY, or ELMIRA, NEW YORK.

IMPRCVEMENT IN AUTOMATIC SHADE-ROLLERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,877, dated May 12, 1874; application filed I February 20, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND (J. D. Mo-

'KAY, of Elmira, in the county of Ghemung and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self Acting and Balancing Shade-Roller; and 1 do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, that will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to self acting and balancin g shade-rollers, in which the shade may be held at any desired point, and in which the shade may be rolled up by a simple act of the person using the same, and has for its object to improve the construction and operation of the devices of this class, by providing a simple and more convenient and complete device than ever before produced for this purpose; and it consists in the combination of a cam with a spring, whereby the tension of the spring used is increased or diminished, and the resistance on the cam used is increased or diminished in proportion to the tension of said spring, the several parts being constructed and arranged as hereinafter described, so that the weak or strong points will be varied at different positions of the shade, according to the tension of the spring; also, in attaching the spring to the second, third, or fourth mover, instead of to the roller, as heretofore; and in the combination of parts, as hereinaftermore fully described, and pointed out by the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the device in position for use. Fig. 2 shows the roller and attachments, partly in section. Figs. 3 and 4 represent the disks used. Fig. 5 represents the end of the roller and cam. Figs. 6, 7,8, 9, and 10 represent modifications of my device. Fig. 11 represents the end of the roller inclosed by a fluted or corrugated ferrule, and Fig. 12 is an end view of Fig. 11.

A represents a shade-roller, made of metal or wood, as desired, being hollow at one end, and provided with a stationary spindle, B, having a shaft, G, at its outer end, and the opposite end journaled in the roller A, so that the shade-roller may revolve independently of the shaft and spindle. Around the spindle a spring, B, is coiled, one end being secured to the spindle at a, and the other end to the eyes b of the plate D. The plate D is provided with a ratchet on the side opposite the eyes, as shown in Fig. 3. E represents a plate, provided with a pawl, which operates on, and in connection with, the ratchet above described, and both plates, D and E, are provided with a central perforation, to fit easily on the shaft 0 and revolve thereon. F represents a cam or eccentric, rigidly secured to the shaft 0, outside of the end plate I of the roller. G represents a lever, secured to a small. shaft passing through a perforation in the end plate I, to the other end of which shaft is attached a lever, H, operating on, or in connection with, the plate E. A

When a shade is being unrolled from the roller in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 5, the head of the roller being connected with the spring by plate I, disk E, crank or lever H, disk D, and the pawl and ratchet, and the pawl operating on the ratchet on plate D, the spring is caused to be wound up, and acquires power to roll the shade back. As the shade unrolls from the roller the power of the spring is being constantly increased, and the resistance brought to bear on the cam is also being constantly increased in proportion to the tension of the spring, and as the lever Gr rotates on the cam, the power of the spring exerted on the roller is greater or less, accord ing to the position of the lever on the cam, which causes weak or dead points to occur at each rotation of the roller, at which point or points the shade hangs at restthe number of dead-points occurring at each rotation depending entirelyon the form of the cam. The dead-points occur when the part of the lever resting on the cam is extended farthest from the center of the roller, at which time all or nearly all the power of the spring is resisted by the friction between said lever and cam.

Whenthe shade is put on the roller so that when in unwinding the shade the spring is wound up, the pawl is only used to transmit the power applied to the shade and 1 roller to the plate D, to which the spring is attached, as the plate E, to which the pawl is attached, is operated upon by a lever or crank, H, which, being connected to arm of the lever G, is operated by the plate I, and when the shade is being rolled upon the roller the whole power or resistance of the spring is brought to bear upon the cam or eccentric F in a greater or less degree, according to the tension of the spring. The plate D, to which the spring is secured, is also for the purpose of preventing accident or injury to the spring, should the shade be rolled off the roller in the wrong direction, the shade not having been rolled on the roller in the proper direction in the first instance, as is sometimes the case. WVhen such error occurs in putting on the shade, and the device is put in proper position for use, and the shade drawn down or off the roller, the tendency would be to unwind the spring from the spindle, were it not for the ratchet and pawl, which. render it impossible to move the spring backward, for as the roller is turned backward the pawl does not engage with the ratchet, and the spring remains at rest. As the spring winds up it does not do so at a uniform rate ofspeed, because of the backward motion imparted to the plates D and E, to which the spring is attached, thereby checking the spring in winding up one or more turns, according to the form of the cam thus im )IOVIHO the deadpoints. This backward motion is caused by the lever G and cam, which is connected to the lever H, which, through the means de scribed, are connected to the spring. The lever H, operating on the plate E, is placed in arecess in the plate larger than itself, so that when the end of the lever G is moved to and from the center of the roller the lever H is also moved independently of the movement of the roller, thus causing the lever H to press against the edge of the recess in plate E, and to give a backward movement to the plates E and D and the spring, according to the distance the lever II is moved by the lever G and the cam.

The same result is accomplished, and upon the same principle, by the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7, so far as relates to the deadpoints, where, instead of having the edge of the lever H bearing on the slot cut in plate E, a pin, a, is secured to the lever, and acts on or in the slot cut in the plate E, in which case the plate D is dispensed with. The same re sults are accomplished by the modification shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 12,- where the levers Gr and H are dispensed with, and a strap, 2), is placed around the eccentric. In this the eccentric or cam is placed inside the plate I, instead of on the outside, the strap surrounding the cam, and being provided with a pin, a, which operates in slots cut in plates I and E.

J represents the ferrule, as shown in Fig. 11, covering all the mechanism secured within the same, and having the head I, as shown in Fig. 12, said ferrule being fluted or corrugated,

in order to be more securely attached to the roller. M represents brackets to secure the fixture to the sash or other portion of the window-frame.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- r 1. A cam or eccentric placed on the axis of a shade-roller, in combination with and acting on a disk or disks connected with a spring, and a connecting mechanism, substantially as de scribed, between the disk or disks and the cam, whereby the cam or eccentric causes the power of the spring to act differentially on the roller, and causes one or more dead-points to occur when the shade is being rolled up or down, at which point or points the shade hangs at rest, substantially for the purpose specified.

2. The cam F, levers G H, and plate E, in

combination with a shade-roller and spring, as described, whereby the plate to which the spring is attached is caused to move backward while the roller is moving forward, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a shade-roller, the combination of a 

